Terms and Definitions
Define evolution.
Evolution is the change of genes over a long period of time.
What is a fossil?
An ancient lifeform preserved in rock.
Give an example of an observation.
We see that the bird has feathers.
Is genetic drift random or predictable?
Random
Can alleles for adaptations be beneficial, harmful, or neutral? Support your answer.
Any of these, alleles that cause adaptations can benefit an organism, hurt them, or cause no change to them.
Define extinction.
When there is no more individuals left in a species.
What is the universal genetic code?
All living things have some form of DNA with the nucleotides A, T, C, and G.
Give an example of an inference.
Because we see the birds have feathers, they can fly.
Provide an example of a event that can cause genetic drift.
Hurricane, natural disaster
Describe the difference between a scientific law and a scientific theory.
Laws describe WHAT will happen, theories describe HOW the event happens.
What is speciation?
How can biogeography (studying where organisms lived and have lived) support evolution?
Shows that species in different areas evolve unique traits to adapt to their environment.
What is the difference between an observation and an inference?
An observation is something we notice using our senses. An inference is a conclusion developed through evidence/reasoning.
Give an example of geographic isolation.
Two populations being separated by a mountain/river/gorge/road and can no longer interact.
Why does natural selection favor "beneficial" traits?
These are the traits that will help an organism survive long enough to reproduce.
What is embryology?
The study of embryos and how they form.
Give an example of a vestigial structure.
Appendix/wisdom teeth in humans; pelvic bones in whales.
What is a hypothesis?
An idea that proposes an explanation about an event observed in the natural world.
Give an example of the founder effect.
A bunny moves away from the original population, now all the bunnies in the new population look like the immigrant.
Give a hypothesis for the following observation: The light does not turn on when you flick the light switch.
If the light does not turn on, then the bulb must be burnt out.
The process through which evolution occurs, how the environment changes species.
The arm bones in mammals (humans, bats, cats, and whales).
Give an inference about the following observation: The lion is laying on a rock and yawning.
The lion must be tired because I see him yawning.
Does natural selection favor dominant or recessive traits? Support your answer.
Neither, it favors the most beneficial trait, it can be dominant or recessive.
What are the steps of the scientific method in order?
Observation -> Question -> Hypothesis -> Experiment -> Analysis -> Conclusion